A system (100) and method (900) for assessing for protecting the occupant (70) of a vehicle (50) during a rear crash (62). The system (100) can use a wide variety of assemblies, subassembly, and component configurations to protect the occupant (70) from undesirable kinematics (91). Such a system (100) can among other components include an anti-ramping guide (272) and/or a rear pretensioner (305).

A knee bolster assembly for a vehicle seat includes a knee bolster moveably mounted in proximity to the vehicle seat, the knee bolster selectively moveable between a first position, wherein a passenger is able to enter and exit the vehicle seat, and a second position, wherein the knee bolster is positioned directly in front of a seating surface of the vehicle seat, such that legs of a passenger seated within the vehicle seat are positioned between the seating surface of the vehicle seat and the knee bolster, the knee bolster adapted to prevent an occupant of the vehicle seat from sliding forward off the vehicle seat and restrict any hyper-extending of their lower legs due to forward inertia, and an energy absorbing device adapted to absorb energy when knees or legs of a passenger within the vehicle seat impact the knee bolster.

The present description relates to an occupant protecting system for a vehicle, a vehicle comprising such an occupant protecting system and an occupant protecting method for such a vehicle. The occupant protecting system comprises a seat assembly, a sensor unit, an actuator unit and a control unit. The sensor unit is configured to generate crash monitoring data of the vehicle. The control unit is configured to determine a crash type based on the crash monitoring data in case of a collision of the vehicle. The actuator unit comprises a pyrotechnic element. The actuator unit is arranged at the seat assembly and capable to adjust a position of the seat assembly. The control unit is configured to cause the actuator unit based on the crash type.

A safety system for vehicle may include a restraint surface adjustment mechanism for adjusting at least one of a height or an angle of a restraint surface disposed under a vehicle seat during a collision and/or predicted collision in which the vehicle seat is facing in the direction of travel and/or the direction of the oncoming collision. The seat may comprise a bench seat including a first seating space and a second seating space. A first restraint surface adjustment mechanism may be associated with the first seating space and a second restraint surface adjustment mechanism may be associated with the second seating space. The restraint surface adjustment mechanism may include, for example, an inflatable bladder, a movable plate which rotates about an axis, or other restraint surface adjustment mechanisms that adjust at least one of the height, angle, or physical property (e.g., rigidity) of one or more restraint surfaces.

An apparatus for operating a longitudinal seat adjustment device of a vehicle seat may have one drive unit for the adjustment device, a control unit for controlling the at least one drive unit, a main power supply unit for providing a main supply voltage during normal operation and a rechargeable, emergency power supply unit which is configured to provide during emergency operation an emergency supply voltage for the control unit and the drive unit. A vehicle having such an apparatus for operating the adjustment device is also provided.

A seat rail module with two rails for longitudinal adjustment of a vehicle seat comprises a drive member, at least one deformation member coupled to an associated rail for longitudinal adjustment, at least one fastening member for fastening the drive member, and an actuator for locking and unlocking the at least one fastening member. The deformation member is deformed upon displacement of the vehicle seat in a main direction of travel to dissipate crash energy and decelerate the vehicle seat. In a locked position of the fastening member, the drive member is directly secured to a rail by the fastening member. The fastening member is mechanically unlocked upon displacement of the vehicle seat beyond a predetermined limit setting, so that the drive member is coupled to an associated rail via the deformation member, to enable a displacement of an upper rail relative to a lower rail for dissipating impact energy.

An active system and a computer-implemented method for reducing vibrations of seats in a vehicle is described. The system and method adjust a damping and/or a stiffness of a vibration damper based on system input signals from the vehicle or seat system. The signals include one or more of a signal associated with a user weight, a signal associated with time-dependent movement of a vehicle frame, and a signal associated with time-dependent movement of a seat back or a seat pan. The damping or the stiffness are adjusted by a closed loop control.

An occupant protection auxiliary device includes: a seat mounted on a vehicle and on which an occupant is able to sit while facing a rear of the vehicle; a head detection sensor able to detect a relative position of a head of the occupant with respect to a headrest of the seat; and a control unit that determines whether to execute at least one of alerting the occupant, setting a speed limit, and changing a reclining angle based on a detection result of the head detection sensor.

An assembly includes a seat bottom including a panel pivotable from a first position to a second position. The assembly includes a track supported by the seat bottom. The assembly includes a spring in the track and urging the panel toward the second position. The assembly includes a pyrotechnic actuator maintaining the spring in compression and actuatable to release the spring.

A vehicle includes a floor. A seat is supported by the floor. The seat includes a seatback. An actuator is fixed relative to the floor. The actuator is spaced from the seat along a vehicle-longitudinal axis. A track is fixed relative to the floor and is disposed between the seat and the actuator. The track is elongated along the vehicle-longitudinal axis. A slider is disposed in the track. The slider is slidable relative to the track by the actuator to a deployed position. A cable includes a first end fixed relative to the seatback and a second end fixed relative to the slider. The cable is under tension when the slider is in the deployed position.